Method and fixture for identifying conductors



E. E. o'r'r 2,898,242

METHOD AND FIXTURE FOR IDENTIFYING CONDUCTORS Aug. 4, 1959 0 m VO w M a m m M W fl/ NN mm Filed March 27, 1958 mm on METHGD AND FDiTURE FOR IDENTIFYING CONDUCTORS Edward ]E. @tt, Cincinnati, ()hio, assignor to Avco Manufacturing Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application March 27, 1958, Serial No. 724,363

3 Claims. (Cl. 117-212) The present invention relates to industrial processing, and specifically to a novel apparatus and method for identifying wires.

A summary consideration of the prior art is persuasive that there has been a persistent need for an improved fixture and process or method for identifying wires, a method and apparatus in consonance with modern mass production requirements. One widely used prior art method involves placement on the wire of a collar with integral tabs bearing identifying indicia. This method of identification is characterized by the following disadvantages and limitations:

(1) The necessity to remove the markers when the wires have been identified and placed;

(2) The undesirable adhesive residue remaining on the surface of the Wire after removal of the markers;

(3) The tendency of such markers to become separated from the wires during sorting or installing operations;

(4) The cost of the markers;

(5) The storage and sorting of the markers.

Another prior art method is to print identifying letters and numbers on the several wires. In practice the following disadvantages of this method have become apparent:

(1) Substantial capital cost of apparatus;

(2) The necessity to read the identifying indicia in the direction of the axis of the wire;

(3) The confinement of presently available commercial equipment to utility in marking only short lengths of wires;

(4) The necessity to use different sizes of type for various wire gauges;

(5) Time-consuming margin-setting operations.

The primary object of this invention is to provide improved method and apparatus for wire identification, characterized at once by speed, flexibility, low cost, simplicity, reliability, and freedom from the disadvantages and limitations of prior art practices and apparatus.

The accomplishment of the principal object of the invention involves the concept of utilizing for wire identification the universal color coding established by the Radio, Electronic, and Television Manufacturers Association, and the following typical color coding is exploited in the present invention, although it will be understood that any system of color coding may be used:

Patent 0 The colors, as applied to the wire in accordance with:

the invention, are read from the outer end of the wire inwardly. One color stripe is required for identifying wires numbered 0 to 9, two color stripes for wires numbered 10 to 99, and three color stripes for wires numbered from to 999.

The exploitation of this concept in accordance with the method and apparatus of the invention has demonstrated cost savings of 700% in practical commercial operation in a large industrial plant.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a novel method of color coding wire which comprises the steps of arranging a plurality of wires in side-by-side or juxtaposed position in a single layer, securely positioning and aligning said wires, superimposing on said layer of wires a single template having normally closed slots ex.- tending transverse to the wires, opening a selected one of those slots, and spraying the coloring material on the wire areas defined by the opened slot.

The invention provides a novel fixture for positioning.

wires, defining areas to be spray-coated, and masking.

otherwise exposed areas on the wires. A representative and preferred embodiment of such fixture, found to be successful in practice, comprises a base plate for sup porting and aligning a single-layer plurality of juxtaposed insulated wires, a pair of spaced holding-down plates positioned transversely of the wire at opposite margins of the base plate, said wires being disposed between said holding-down plates and said base plate, together withmeans for locating said holding-down plates to provide a space therebetween. The inventive combination further provides means for selectively defining areas of the wire to be sprayed, while protecting otherwise exposed areas. This novel means comprises a template adapted to be: positioned in the space between the holding-down plates and formed with a plurality of parallel slots extending; transversely across the wires. Each of the slots is proportioned to define the deposit of spray coating on the wire areas immediately beneath it. This selective defining means also includes masking means comprising slot covers hinged to the template. Each of those covers is; swingable to one position in which its associated slot is; open and to another position in which such slot is closed;

For a better understanding of the invention, together with other and further objects, advantages, and capabil ities thereof, reference is made to the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a rear perspective view of a preferred form of fixture in accordance with the invention, the combined template and masking device being shown, for purposes of exposition, in a position vertically displaced from that in which it is placed during the spraying operation;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the combined template and masking device provided in accordance with the inven,

Number: Color 1 Brown. 2 Red.

3 Orange.

tion and included in the entire apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the Fig. 2 device; Fig. 4 is a left-hand elevational view (i.e., left with: respect to the operator) of the Fig. 2 device; and

Fig. 5 is an elevational sectional view taken along the plane 55 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing the relative positions of the parts during normal operation when the combined template and masking device is in place and one of the slot covers is in open position to define the wire area to be sprayed.

A typical insulated wire to which the color coding is applied is designated by the reference numeral 10. The reference numeral 11 collectively designates a singlelayer plurality of such wires, laid side by side on a rectangular base plate 12. The single layer 11 here shown comprises 25 wires, but it will be understood that the invention is not limited-to this number, and 50 or more have been simultaneously color-coded in the practice of the'invention. The base plate includes at its rear (and away from the operator) a pair of vertically upstanding locating pins 13 and 14, and at its front (and near the operator) asimilar pair of locating pins or posts 15 and 16. Superimposed on the layer of wires 11 is a rectangular holding-down plate 17 which is provided with apertures slidably engaging the pins 13 and 14, whereby plate 17 is positioned above the rear margin of the base plate. Similarily superimposed on layer 11 at the front margin of the base plate is a rectangular holding-down plate 18, which is also provided with positioning apertures complementary to the locating pins 15 and 16. Thus, plates 17 and 18 maintain the layer of wires 11 together and in alignment, and between the plates 17 and 18 is formed a space or channel 19 in which there is placed the combined template and masking device 20.

The combined template and masking device 20 comprises a generally rectangular template member 21 formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending slots 22, 23, and 24, extending in a direction transverse'to the wires, and with spaced pin-receiving extensions 25 and 26, between which there is secured a hinge pin 27. Hinged on pin 27 are slot covers 23, 29, and 30, each of which is associatedwith one of the slots 22, 23, and 24, respectively. Extending downwardly from the slot covers and projecting through registering apertures in the plate 21 are positioning pins 31, 32, and 33. When the combined template and masking device 20 is in place, these positioning pins abut against the side of base plate 12 to maintain such device in position. Further, template 21 snugly fits into the space 19 between plates 17 and 18.

In color coding wire in accordance with the process of the present invention, the following sequence of steps has been found to be satisfactory:

(1) First the several parts 12, 17, 18, and 26 of the fixture are disassembled;

(2) A plurality of insulated wires to be marked is put into position on the base plate 12 so that one end of each wire is in line with the rear edge of the base plate as shown at 34 (Fig. 1);

(3) The holding-down plate 18 is placed on its guide pins, and the wires positioned so that they lie in a layer;

(4) The space plate 17 is put into position on its guide pins;

(5) With the use of a suitable spray gun, the wires in the channel 19 between the plates 17 and 18 are sprayed with white paint;

(6) The spray shield or masking device 21) is placed in space 19 with all slot covers closed;

(7) Slot cover is opened, and the wire areas which slot 24 defines are sprayed with the first identifying color;

(8) Slot cover 30 is closed and slot cover 29 is opened, and a spray gun is used to spray the wires as defined by slot 23 as shown in Fig. 5;

(9) Slot cover 29 is closed and slot cover 28 is opened, and a spray gun is used to spray the desired coding on the wire areas defined by slot 22;

(10) Slot cover 28 is closed, the spray shield or mask- 4 35b which results from the operation shown in Fig. 5, wherein slot cover 29 is raised. It will be understood that the spray-coated area 35a in Fig. 1 was similarly produced when slot cover 38 was opened. Likewise, area 350 will be sprayed when slot cover 28 is opened.

In the case where it is desired to apply the same color to more than one area, the slot covers masking such areas are opened simultaneously, so that the spraying of two or three areas with the same color is accomplished in a single operation.

In the spraying operation, colored ink of the spray type is preferred. Suitable insulating materials for the wire are as follows:

(a) Vinyl (b) Polyamide (c) Polytetrafiuoroethylene (d) Rubber or latex (e) Braided shielding (metal) It will be seen from the foregoing that the invention provides a method of color-coding wire which comprises the steps of arranging a plurality of wires side by side in a single layer 11, securely positioning and aligning said wires with the plates 12, 17, and 18, superimposing on said layer 11 of wire a single template 21 having normally closed slots 22, 23, and 24 extending transverse to the wires, opening a selected one (for example, 23) of said slots, and spraying coloring material (Fig. 5) on the wire area (for example, 351)) defined by the open slot.

While there has been shown and described what is at present believed to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes and substitutions of equivalents may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, the combined template and masking device may optionally be placed in a transposed position in the space 19, with the hinged end (25, 26, 27) to the operators left.

I claim:

1. A fixture for positioning wires, for defining areas to be spray-coated, and for masking otherwise exposed areas on the wires, said fixture comprising a base plate for supporting and aligning a single-layer plurality of juxtaposed insulated wires, a pair of spaced holding-down plates positioned transversely of said wires at opposite margins of said base plate, said wires being disposed between said holding-down plates and said base plate, means for locating said holding-down plates to provide a space therebetween, and means for selectively defining areas of the wires to be spray-coated while masking otherwise exposed areas, comprising: a template adapted to be positioned in the space between the holdingdown plates and formed with a plurality of parallel slots extending transversely across said wires, each of said slots being proportioned to define an area to be spray-coated on the wires immediately beneath it, and masking means comprising slot covers hinged to said template, each of said covers being swingable to one position in which its associated template slot is open, and to another position in which said slot is closed.

2. The method of color-coding which comprises the steps of arranging a plurality of wires side by side in a single layer, securely positioning and aligning said wires, superimposing on said layer of wires a single template having normally closed slots extending transverse to the wires successively opening selected ones of said slots, and successively spraying coloring material on the wire areas defined by each opened slot.

3. A device for defining areas to be spray-coated on a .plurality of juxtaposed wires and masking otherwise exposed areas on the wires, comprising a template formed with a plurality of parallel slots extending transversely across said wires, each of said slots being proportioned to define the .area to be spray-coated on the wire areas References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Schoop Feb. 19, 1918 Yafiee May 18, 1926 6 Murray Aug. 13, 1946 Krogel Sept. 30, 1947 Winters et a1 Mar. 23, 1954 Gray Oct. 9, 1956 Hofi Dec. 23, 1958 

3. A DEVICE FOR DEFINING AREAS TO BE SPRAY-COATED ON A PLURALITY OF JUXTAPOSED WIRES AND MASKING OTHERWISE EXPOSED AREAS ON THE WIRES, COMPRISING A TEMPLATE FORMED WITH A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL SLOTS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY ACROSS SAID WIRES, EACH OF SAID SLOTS BEING PROPORTIONED TO DEFINE THE AREA TO BE SPRAY-COATED ON THE WIRE AREAS IMMEDIATELY BENEATH IT, AND MASKING MEANS COMPRISING SLOT COVERS HINGED TO SAID TEMPLATE, EACH OF SAID COVERS BEING SWINGABLE TO ONE POSITION IN WHICH ITS ASSOCIATED TEMPLATE SLOT IS OPEN, AND TO ANOTHER POSITION IN WHICH SAID SLOT IS CLOSED. 